Running Jobs

A job is a single test execution run by PAIStrike's AI against an asset. Jobs are the core unit of work in PAIStrike — every vulnerability discovery happens through a job.

Testing Modes

Black Box Testing

In black box mode, the AI approaches the target with no prior knowledge — simulating an external attacker who only knows the target's address. This mode is ideal for:

• Discovering externally exploitable vulnerabilities
• Assessing what an unauthenticated attacker could find
• Baseline security assessments

White Box Testing

In white box mode, you provide the AI with additional context about the target system. This could include:

• Application credentials (for authenticated testing)
• API documentation or OpenAPI specs
• Source code snippets
• Network topology or architecture diagrams
• Custom instructions or testing notes

White box testing tends to produce more thorough results because the AI can test authenticated functionality and use application-specific knowledge.

Starting a Job

1. Navigate to an asset within your project.
2. Click New Job.
3. Configure the job:

Select Testing Mode

Choose Black Box or White Box.

If you choose White Box, a form appears where you can:

• Enter credentials (username/password, API keys)
• Upload reference documents
• Add custom instructions for the AI

Job Name (Optional)

Give the job a descriptive name to distinguish it in the history list. If left blank, a name is auto-generated based on the asset and timestamp.

4. Review your configuration and click Start Job.

The job is created with Pending status and queued for execution.

Job Statuses

Status	Meaning
Pending	Job is queued and waiting to start
Running	AI is actively testing the asset
Completed	Testing finished successfully; findings are available
Failed	An error occurred during testing; see job logs for details

Jobs transition through these statuses automatically. You can navigate away from the job page while a job is running — it continues in the background.

Monitoring a Running Job

While a job is in the Running state, the job detail page shows:

• Progress indicator — a live status of what the AI is currently doing (e.g., "Scanning for XSS vulnerabilities")
• Findings discovered so far — intermediate results as vulnerabilities are found
• Job log — a detailed timestamped log of AI actions and decisions
• Elapsed time — how long the job has been running

Viewing Job Results

Once a job reaches Completed status:

1. Click the job from the asset or project page.
2. The results view shows:
   • Vulnerability list — all findings sorted by severity
   • Summary statistics — counts by severity level
   • AI notes — the AI's observations about the target's security posture
3. Click any vulnerability to see full details.

See Tracking Vulnerabilities for details on how to work with findings.

Retesting

After remediating a vulnerability, you can retest to verify the fix.

Retest a Specific Vulnerability

1. Open the vulnerability.
2. Click Retest.
3. PAIStrike creates a focused job targeting only that specific finding.

Run a Full Retest Job

1. From the asset page, click New Job.
2. Configure the same settings as the original job.
3. Click Start Job.

Findings from new jobs are tracked separately so you can compare results over time.

Cancelling a Job

To stop a running job before it completes:

1. Open the job detail page.
2. Click Cancel Job.
3. Confirm the cancellation.

The job will move to a Cancelled status. Any findings discovered before cancellation are preserved.

Note: Cancelled jobs count against your monthly job limit.